Myanmar, also known as Burma, a least developed country in
mainland South-East Asia, is still in its embryonic phase of
Intellectual Property Laws. The country is not presently a
signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial
Property or any other treaty protecting patents. The Burma Patents
and Designs (Emergency Provisions) Act 1946 came into force in 1993
in the country, but has been repealed, and therefore currently
Myanmar does not have any standard through which Patents can be
applied and enforced. This brings about a scenario where goods that
are patented, and for which companies or individuals hold relevant
patent rights outside Myanmar, can be produced and used for
commercial purposes and traded in Myanmar without the permission of
the actual rights owner. There is no regulation or any law for
protection of inventions and related IP. As a result, it is
currently not possible to apply for patents in Myanmar.
